HELMAND PROVINCE, Afghanistan  Since he took command of U.S. and international forces in southwestern Afghanistan in March, Marine Maj. Gen. Charles M. Gurganus and his Camp Pendleton staff have overseen a “fighting retrograde” in the deadliest area of the country for coalition forces. Violence remains high after nearly 11 years at war, unlike the twilight of the Iraq conflict, but most Marines and U.S. military equipment are on the way home.

At its peak last year the NATO regional command headquartered in Helmand province included some 20,000 Marines and sailors, with close to half from Camp Pendleton, Miramar Marine Corps Air Station and Twentynine Palms. Now as U.S. troop levels nationwide fall to about 68,000, the Marine force has shrunk close to its goal for the end of this month of about 7,000.

Military reporter Gretel C. Kovach and staff photographer Nelvin C. Cepeda spent five weeks on the front lines of Helmand province this summer — for the third time since 2010. In an exclusive, hour-and-a-half long interview at his Camp Leatherneck headquarters, Gurganus spoke with U-T San Diego about the beginning of the end of the U.S. war campaign and the future of southwestern Afghanistan.

Excerpts edited for clarity and brevity.

Q: U.S. Marines have been fighting in large numbers in Helmand province since 2009, when they joined British forces. How strong is the insurgency there today?

A: If you read all the intel, oh boy it’s a pretty bleak picture. The insurgents have got a list of their objectives, but without capability then all they’ve got is a list. The insurgents are less capable today, and I think that’s cumulative of over the years. It’s all of the work done out here by not just Marines but by the coalition force and the people partnered with them. Some of it is we ran (the insurgents) pretty hard the first 120 days. We’ve run the Marines pretty hard too.

Q: With large offensives in increasingly remote areas?

A: Yeah. We tried not to give them a rest. We pushed an ever dwindling (Marine) force harder and harder. And in turn it took (the insurgents) off of the rhythm and what their plans were. But no one group in the coalition force will be here when this thing turns. It will turn based on the cumulative effect over time. That’s not only the fighting against the insurgency, it’s also some of the development projects.

Q: You’re not simply trying to kill more of them?

A: No. The disrupting effect that we have keeps them from being able to dictate where, when, with how much. Every time we go in there, OK yeah you take some of them off the battlefield. But no, we’re not in it for the body count. We’re able to find some of their caches. You take some of them off the battlefield. You take some of their toys off the battlefield. And now you can see the security bubble start to move outward.